[Eski]

Hi Im very new to Alfa's so i been searching for information regarding lowering my 105 coupe 2000GTV and read that different suppliers offer unique spring rates but very little information. My question is who's has the most compliant ride on the road?

Thanks

 

[GTA_Nigel]

Someone may know the spring rates but the best thing is to ring the suppliers. Jim on here works for Alfaholics so may be able to give the info about the springs in their handling kit. I have the Eibach springs on mine which are described as "Approximately 40mm lower ride height and slightly stiffer than standard springs." But they were on it when I got the car so I can't really compare them with the standard springs. It certainly does not feel that harsh on the road. You can see what it looks like lowered here: http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/the-classic-alfa-romeos/759209-bought-a-gtv-today.html

Welcome btw, how about some info about your GTV or some pics?

 

[Joe90GT]

Welcome - any particular reason for lowering your 105? - if your worried about compliance I'd run it for a few months as standard first then see if you still want to change it, otherwise you wont know what difference it makes.

 

[Mr Dunamis]

Welcome Eski,
There are loads of posts on here regarding lowering and uprating the springs. For what it's worth I run lowered springs with Koni sports all round. The Konis are on the softest setting and she is dead low and has a great stance. I find the ride is quite compliant and she corners quite flat as well. I bought my kit from Alfaholics and was the kit ''C'' - which was the lowest. I have also put a stiffer ARB on the front and removed the rear ARB. I can't compare with a standard set up as when I got my car it wasn't standard, she had some kind of hybrid setup which I have definitely improved upon.

 

[harryf]

I should probably warn you off yellow koni's if you want a compliant ride - they are brutally hard for me on todays poorly maintained roads

 

[Eski]

Wow yours looks fantastic, your ride height looks great whereas mine looks very tall. I get the tape measure out next time its out somewhere level.

Sadly mine needs a lot of bodywork, once the paints off and i think needs replacing im considering options depending what's available.

Someone may know the spring rates but the best thing is to ring the suppliers. Jim on here works for Alfaholics so may be able to give the info about the springs in their handling kit. I have the Eibach springs on mine which are described as "Approximately 40mm lower ride height and slightly stiffer than standard springs." But they were on it when I got the car so I can't really compare them with the standard springs. It certainly does not feel that harsh on the road. You can see what it looks like lowered here: http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/the-classic-alfa-romeos/759209-bought-a-gtv-today.html

Welcome btw, how about some info about your GTV or some pics?

 

[Eski]

I had few cars with Bilstein which generally i liked the B6 range and B8 less so. Any idea on what the Alfa ones are? Anyone do coilovers?

I should probably warn you off yellow koni's if you want a compliant ride - they are brutally hard for me on todays poorly maintained roads[/QUOTE

 

[Eski]

I feel 400lb front and 200lb rear spring rate with maybe 50-60mm drop would lower and keep a nice ride quality but happy to bow to superior knowledge.

 

[Erik Loye]

50-60 mm will get you in troble on speed bumps and in and out of entrances and exits carparks and private drives.
I recon that my Spider S2 is lowered about 40 mm and still have probs on the above. It's got blue springs (Bilsteins I belive) and red Konis. Sporty and confortable to drive.

 

[GTA_Nigel]

Wow yours looks fantastic, your ride height looks great whereas mine looks very tall. I get the tape measure out next time its out somewhere level.

Sadly mine needs a lot of bodywork, once the paints off and i think needs replacing im considering options depending what's available.

Agree that the standard ride height can look a bit ungainly. Using the Eibach springs is probably the least change from standard, otherwise you are looking at fuller "handling kits" from Classic Alfa or Alfaholics. I've been trying to find the spring rates for the Eibach springs but no luck. See here for the details of the springs: SU091 EIBACH SPRING SET - SUIT GT/SPIDER - Classic Alfa

Best of luck with the body - are you doing the work yourself?

 

[Mr Dunamis]

Agree that the standard ride height can look a bit ungainly. Using the Eibach springs is probably the least change from standard, otherwise you are looking at fuller "handling kits" from Classic Alfa or Alfaholics. I've been trying to find the spring rates for the Eibach springs but no luck. See here for the details of the springs: SU091 EIBACH SPRING SET - SUIT GT/SPIDER - Classic Alfa

Best of luck with the body - are you doing the work yourself?

I think the spring rates for the Alfaholics springs are a secret; if Jim told us he'd have to kill us. I think its worth fitting the beefier ARB to the front.

 

[Eski]

Unless you know the Eibach serial number printed on the spring themselves or have access to spring rate gauge then its impossible to guess anything. For £150 more tempted to machine up some coilovers with my own damping rates to still keep a compliant ride since 2.5" springs are very affordable to swap out.

I read even new panels require shaping rather than simply fit and paint so i be doing the bodywork myself to keep things on a sensible timescale. I will start a new thread for bodywork where i definitely could do with some advice regarding my Alfa unfamiliarity.

 

[Eski]

I think the spring rates for the Alfaholics springs are a secret; if Jim told us he'd have to kill us. I think its worth fitting the beefier ARB to the front.

More interested in the original spring rates not the aftermarket because i can calculate what i like rather than guess from my short time behind the wheel.

Alfaholics Eibach spring set at 185+tax is very reasonable price regardless of marquee. If i dont need shocks then im happy to buy Eibach springs from there.

 

[Jim Spackman]

I feel 400lb front and 200lb rear spring rate with maybe 50-60mm drop would lower and keep a nice ride quality but happy to bow to superior knowledge.

Well it'll be interesting if nothing else... 400lb is a bit less than the standard rate at the front, 200lb is what we'd fit on the back of a race car running slick tyres!

The rate your after will depend on whether you're controlling the bodyroll with a thicker front bar or not. We prefer to do this because you can then use softer springs and keep some ride quality.

Coilovers aren't the ideal solution that they're often pictured as. At the rear it's easy (we offer this option) but at the front you'd be putting loads into suspension and structural parts that are not designed to take them so you'll just break stuff for no benefit.

Our road handling kits are pretty similar to the Harvey Bailey kit with minor spring rate differences (you'd have to be very good to tell the difference) but ours offer several heights. I think the HBE just has one height.

 

[Eski]

Thanks for the coilover warning, what chassis/body mounting points break or suspension parts themselves?

Is there an uprated option for those breakable bits regardless of coilovers or not? Or is it case of replace more frequently?

 

[Jim Spackman]

The front top shock mount isn't designed to take the weight of the car, it's part of the bodyshell so you won't want to be replacing it. Neither is the bottom one although that's easier to replace. But why?

Any reason why you want coilovers? They're not "better" in any way. The only reason we do them for the rear is because the design of our race shocks allowed it.

 

[Eski]

So there isn't an off the shelf shock mount reinforcement panel or kit regardless of suspension type available?

Didn't like the floppy rear end and harsh front, the ride quality is neither sporty or comfortable.

I have been given the opportunity to drive 2 fresh ones this weekend one totally standard other with Bilstien B6, which i can compare both to mine and hopefully mine is just tired and need a refresh.

 

[Jim Spackman]

Nope, there's no need for one because no-one fits coilovers to the front of these cars, it's just not worth the effort!

Sounds like there's something wrong if the rides too stiff at the front, check that the lower wishbone bushes haven't seized, they'll do this if the car's been stood around for a few years.

I'll guess that the standard car will probably feel quite nice (if it's set up properly). The one on B6s is likely to feel a bit fidgety. We sell these for competition use and prefer Konis for the road.

 

[Tirefriar]

It depends what your plans are for the car. With street driving, Koni Reds will be more than adequate. Combine them with koni red shocks and you will be good to go. Yellows are too hard for street use although iit all boils down to what your tolerance level is.

 

[Eski]

Jim sorry got my wires crossed thought these cars have McPherson type front suspension so coilovers would have been easy, scratch that idea.

I upgraded my Escort mk2 with Gartrac Watts linkage kit to reinforce the chassis with upgraded shock turrets and brackets the kit. For peace of mind and negligible expense whilst welding away, the results was much improved chassis control with normal road suspension so a little surprised nothing like that is available for Alfa 105.